Lubricating system and apparatus



Aug. 7, Y192s. 1,679,734

H. J. MURPHY LUBRICATING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed March 14. 1922 8 12T/vena? Howa rd JMurp 70H.

Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD Il'. MURPHY, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE BASSICK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LUBRICATING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

Application filed March 14, 1922. Serial No. 543,654.v

This invention pertains to improvements in lubricating apparatus. It is among the objects of the invention to improve lubricat-v ing apparatus Wlierein a source of lubricant under pressure may be connected .to and disconnected from a lubricant-receiving part. The improvements relate primarily to the lubricant-receiving part or nipple and. to the coupling and valve-operating mechanism for use in connection therewith.

In the drawings which show'a preferred foi'm of one embodiment of my inventionz Figure l is a longitudinal7 central section through a preferred form o f lubricant-expelling device, being partly in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal section through the coupling end of the devi ce, showing the parts in their relationship prior to coupling;

Fig. 3 is a section similar. to Fig. 2, but showing the lubricant-receiving nipple and the relative position of the parts pursuant to the coupling and valve-opening operations;

Fig. 4 is a view showing anelevation of a portion of the parts shown inFig. 3, in their coupled relation;

Fig. 5 is a section on Fig. 4; n

Fig. 6 isa section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig.

the lines 5-5 of 7 includes an end and a side elevation, and central,A longitudinal .section of a preferred form of lubricant-receiving nipple.

Referring to the drawings and to the preferred form of my invention selected for illustrative purposes, I have shown a .lubricant-receiving nipple presenting adjacent the lubricant-receiving end thereof a generally triangular portion presenting three underlying surfaces -which may be engaged by cooperating coupling parts, such surfaces being of very considerable area Without unduly increasing the over-all cross-sectioiial dimensions of the nipple at this point. What would be the corners of a triangle formed by these projections are preferably1 omitted, what would otherewise correspond to the corner portions being preferably rounded so that the cross-section of the nipple at this point is six sided While generally triangular' because t-liree of the sides are considerably longer than the three other sides.

Aside from the extended underlying surfaces and great strength of the generally triangular form of the nippleat these projections, I have found that three-point support is of decided advantage in connection with a coupling, insuring an even bearing. Of even greater advantage is the fact that the triangular construction provides long lateral faces generally at acute angles to each other, .which serve as guiding faces facilitating the entrance of the portion under consideration into an aperture ofa cooperating coupling. This is of particular advantage in connection with a lubricating system of the preferred form, wherein the coupling is carried' directly by a lubricantexpelling device such as a lubricant gun as distinguishedfroin being carried by a fiexible coupling or the like, and especially where coupling may be effected While holding the gun at its end opposite that on which the coupling is provided and at a point considerabl removed from the lubricant-receiving nipp e. Not only are the length of -tlie faces of the nipple of advantage during this entering operation; but the disposition of adjacent faces at acute angles to one another provides a marked advantage over such faces at right angles to one another, as in asquare, or at obtuse angles to one another, as in a cross-section providing more than four symmetrically arranged sides. The removal or omission of the corners also greatly facilitates the entering operation and, Where a round guiding portion is provided in advance of the projections on the nipple, such round or cylindrical portion approximately fitting between the faces of the adjacent coupling opening, the engage ment of the coupling with the lubricant-receiving nipple is so readily effected as to be almost automatic.

In the preferred `form of nipple hereinbefore described, and best shown in Fig. 7, the nipple 8 is provided with three projections 9, 9, 9 above referred to, each rounded and connected by the three surfaces 10, 10, 10 at acute angles to each other and relaloo tively long. The projecting portion 11 tacilitating entrance is preferably, as illustrated, substantially in tangential relation 'to the three straight sides 1() of the projecting portions oit the nipple, as is also the body portion of the nipple lying below or beyond the projections thereon.

Cooperating with the preferred form of nipple, l have shown lubricant-expelling means including the barrel 12 provided with a rear head 13 into which is threaded a stem 14 carryin a plunger' 15n rll`he referred form of p'unger illustrated inclu es a cup washer 16 held in expanded position by spring iin gers 17 projecting :trom a contained disc lying beneath a reinforcement 18 through which the stem 14 is riveted.

ln the preferred form of my invention illustrated, the rear head 13 is constructed with a sulliciently deep recess to receive the plunger including the leather cup 16 so that, when the plunger is entirely retracted and the head removed, no ditiiculty will be experienced in again enteringl the plunger in the barrel 12, tins-because the recess in the head 13 aligns with the opening in the barrel 12 ln the preferred form of my invention illustrated, l have shown the coupling cooperating with a valve, these parts bein carried within the end of the barrel 12 pre erably by intel-engaging threads 20, and l have found it convenient, to prevent tampering with the coupling and valve mechanism, to spin over the end ot the barrel at 21 te hold the coupling and valve parts in position. This spun-over portion 21 also acts as a seal whereby, if the echanism has been tampered with, such-ta i pering will be evidenced even though done by a skilled mechanic.

'lhe preferred form ot coupling illustrated includes a retractile coupling sleeve eooperating with a sealing part 31,-pre;t`erably presenting, as illustrated, a sealmg washer 32, the sealing part 31 and retractile sleeve 30 being interconnected by pin and slot means typitied by the pin 33 and the slot 34. To provide a preferred vform of detei-red valve mechanism, the retractile sleeve 30 and sealing part 31 are both mounted for movement relative to the barrelv of the gun 20, and to this end I have provided a front head 35 for the gun exteriorly threaded at 20 to fit corresponding threads on the interior of the gun barrel and, between a projection 36 on this head and the retractile sleeve 31, l have provided valve-operating pin and slot means typified by the pins 37, 37 and cooperating slots 38, 38.

Carried by the sealing part 31, I have provided a longitudinally movable valvef) adapted to cooperatewith a seat carried by." the head 35 and apertured to permit, when open, the passage of lubricant therethrough Leraren into the grease-delivering aperture40 in the sealing part 31. rllhe head 35 isprovided with a cylindrical extension presenting exteriorly an elongated guiding surface over which the retractile sleve 30 may move during the coupling and valveactuating operaY tionsw lL have recessed the front end ot' the projection 36 at 41 to admit a rearwardly extending cylindrical part 42 of the sealing part 31 and 1 have provided an interposed spring-pressed cupped sealing washer 43 to seal the joint between the part 42 and projecting portion 36 while permitting sliding movement. The end of the retractile coup ling sleeve 30 is apertured to receive an end of the lubricant-receiving lnipple including the projections thereon, and provides three flanges which underlie the triangular projections on the nipple pursuant to the coupling operation. ll/Vithin the retractile coupling sleeve 30, 1 have provided a connecting sleeve 51 similarly apertured and of suflicient length to engage a projecting part 52 on the sealing part 31 which is of irregular cross-section and preferably generally triangular to correspond to the cross-section of the part of the nipple 8 having the projections.

1n the preferred form of my invention illustrated, it is particularly desirable to pirovide for completion ofithe coupling operation prior to initiation ,of the valve opening. operation and to provide for closure of the valve prior to initiation of the uncoupling operation. To this end the valve opening slot 38 is provided with a relatively abrupt angle portion in which the valve-operating pin 37 remains precluding turning movement of the retractile sleeve 3() relative to the head 35 of the gun until after a certain amount of retractile movement of said sleeve has taken place, such retractile movement being sufficient to move together the anges 50 and the sealing washer 32 on the sealing part 31 to provide a tight joint around the lubricant-delivering passage 40 in the sealing part 31. The retractile coupling sleeve 3() is normally pressed towards its advanced or uncoupled position by a spring 60 interposed directly between such sleeve andthe head 35. Because of the action between the retractile sleeve 3() and the sealing part 31 by the pin and slot connect-ion, this spring 60 also tends to press the valve 39 against its seat. To further guide and'align the retractile sleeve 30 and to prevent tampering with and to keep dirt out' of the interior mechanism, I have provided an external sleeve 61, screw-threaded at 62 into the interior thread on the barrel 12, and it is preferably over thisexterior sleeve or cover that the spun-over portion v21, serving .as a seal, is provided.

To prevent` opening of the valve pursuant to pressure on the end of the retractile sleeve llt',

lill

30, when uncoupled, the slot 34 is extended downwardly at 63 (Fig. 4) so that it the sleeve 3() is pressed rearwardly` no resultant movement of the valve 39 will take place, the movement in question being taken up and limited by movement oi the screw? from the sharply inclined end 6() thereof to the ment, however, the pin postion illustrated in Fig. 4 against the opposite wall so that no resulting opening of the valve is effected. j

Assuming the nipple to be entirely removed rom the'L coupling, the coupling parts will occupy the relative position illustrated in Fig. 2, the opcn'ng in the end of the retractile sleeve 30 coinciding with the opening in the connecting sleeve 51. If now the nipple be entered and the gun turned in clockwise direction, as viewed from the right of Fig. l, the sleeve 51 and the sealing part 31 cannot turn becauseheld against rotation by the projections on the nipple, the nipple being fixed to a part to be lubricated. The sleeve 3() may, however, turn and will turn to bring the projections on the nipple over the flanges 5() on the retractile sleeve. During this turning movement, the -retractile sleeve-will be retracted because ot the inclined slot 34 which will have been turned relative to the pin 33, which is heldstationary in the sealing part 31. During this initial couplingr movement, the valve cannot have been opened because the pin Ior screw 3'7 is entered in the steep part 6() of the slot 38. During this retracticle coupling move- 37 will have moved to a point past the corner between the abrupt and inclined portions of the slot 38, so that by the time the head ot the nipple is sufficiently pressed against the sealing disc 32 to provide a tight joint, the pin or screw 37 will have come down sufficiently so that the rounded part thereof may pass the adjacent corner inthe slot 38.

Further turning ofthe barrel in clockwise direction as viewed from the right of Fig. 1,'will result in turning of the head 35 0f the gun. carrying the pin A37, wit-hout a corresponding turning movement of the retractile sleeve 30. This relative turning movement will cause the head of the barrel to be drawn forward (with the barrel and exterior sleeve 61), while the sealing part 31 remains stationary. fixed relative to t-he retractile sleeve 30. The' valve 39 will also remain stationary with the sealing part 31 and, as the head 35 moves forward, its seat will be drawn away from it, opening the valve and permitting flow of lubricant therethrough to the lubricant-receiving nipple. The spring 60, initially somewhat compressed during the coupling operation, has been further1 compressed during the valve-opening opera-t n and the inclinationot` the slots 34 and 38'is such that. after the desired lubricationv has been effected, the barrel is turned contraclockwise as viewed from the rightot Fig. 1, and the pin 3T will return to the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, thus closing the valve before'a'ny turning movement of the retractile sleeve 3() initiates the uncoupling operation and withdrawal of the sealing washer from its position where itis pressed against the 1ubrcant-receiving end ot' the nipple 8.

The parts are preferably so proportioned that the screw 33 will never normally reach the end of the slot 34 and for this reason, where the coupling in question is used in connection with a screw-actuated lubricant gun, torque -on the gun arising from the lubricantexpelling operation will constantly tend to tighten the j oint so that the greater the pressure, the greater the seal.

The sealing washer 32 may' be entirely back-supj'iorted by the sealing part 31 or a recess may be provided, as illustrated, behind the sealing washer to permit the lubricant by its pressure behind the sealing washer to exert pressure on the latter against the head of the lubricant-receiving nipple around the lubricant-receiving aperture therein. `Where the pressure ot' the lubricant is availed of to supplement the pressure of the inclined slot and pin cooperating to effect the coupling, a tight seal will be provided even though by lateral pressure on the lgun barrel or handle the gun is kept out of alignment with 'the nipple, which, in the absence of the grease-pressed seal. might prevent the coupling from effecting an absolutely tight sea agalnst great pressure. f

lVhile I have shown and described a preferred form of one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that changes involving omission, substitution, alteration and reversal of parts, and even changes in the mode of operation, may be made without departing from the scope of my invention, ,Y

which is best defined in the following claims. I claim: 1.. 4A lubricant gun presenting a barrel having at its discharge end a couplingcomprising unitary valve and sealing means,

said means extendinginto said barrel,1a protective sleeve surrounding said means, and a fianged over portion of said barrel for retaining 'said sleeve and means in their respective positions, said flanged overportion and sleeve serving to prevent tampering with said valve and sealing means.

2. A lubricant-gun presenting a barrel, a discharge head' entered in said barrel and engaged with the interior thereof, a nozzle sleeve having an end also entered in saidbarrel, said head and nozzle sleeve carrying coupling means and valve means controlling` discharge of lubricant from-said barreLl f l3. A lubricant gun having a barrel closed by a head adjacent its discharge end and providing coupling means including a retractile sleeve having means for coupling engagement with a lubricant receiving nipple, and a compression spring 4acting upon said .sleeve and normally serving to maintain it in extended position.

4. Lubri lating apparatus comprising, in combination, a supply barrel having a valved coupling at the discharge end thereof, said coupling member presenting a retractile terminal part for coupling engagement with ya lubricant receiving nipple, a valve openable by forward movement of said barrel relative to said terminal part, and unyielding means precluding opening of said Valve by forward movement of said barrel relative to said terminal part prior to the coupling operation.

5. Lubricating apparatus comprising, in combination, a supply barrel having a valved coupling at the discharge end thereof, said coupling presenting a retractile terminal part, a valve openable by forward movementl ot .said barrel relative to said terminal part, and pin and slot means precluding opening of said valve by forward movement of said barrel relative to said terminal partprior to the coupling operation.

Lubricating apparatus comprising, in con'ibination, a supply barrel having a valved coupling at the discharge end thereof, said coupling presenting a terminal poi-tion having langesto underlie projections on a lubricant receiving part, a sealing part, incline means directly interposed between said terminal part and said sealing part to effect approaching movement between said flanges and said sealing part, said sealing part carrying a Washer for engagement with the lubricant receiving end of the lubricant receiving part, and a recess in said sealing part behind said Washer to permit the pressure of the lubricant to move or flex said washer and compensate for any absence of alignment of the axis ot' said lubricant receiving part With the axis of said coupling.

1n testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specilication.

HOWARD J. MURPHY. 

